1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to rotary combustion engines, and more specifically to an engine of such type which can be reversed in its direction of rotation, which are readily manufactured, easily serviced with quick access capability in relation to their main interior component parts, and are operational with a wide variety of combustible fuels.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional piston-driven internal combustion engines have various inherent disadvantages with respect to their bulk or power-to-weight ratio, serviceability, and efficiency of operation. Conversely, rotary-driven engines are lighter and more compact, more easily serviced and more efficient due to greater energy being transformed into motive force instead of vibration. The rotating nature of the engine renders its component parts less subject to catastrophic failure as they are not enduring continuous acceleration/deceleration cycles as is necessary in conventional piston-driven engines with a crankshaft. Rotary engines can burn many different fuels in addition to gasoline which enables rotary engines to be more versatile in their use.
The rotary engine has had many embodiments. In a common configuration, the engine is a rotating wheel with compartments or small "buckets" in which the fuel mixture explodes and impels the rotary portion of the engine. Robbins (U.S. Pat. No. 886,641), Boyer (U.S. Pat. No. 1,025,117) and Stewart (U.S. Pat. No. 1,332,367) exemplify such type of arrangement. Boyer's engine has the additional feature of swinging abutments in the compartments which are driven radially outward by centrifugal force as the rotor revolves. The swinging abutments serve the dual purpose of compressing the fuel mixture prior to ignition and forcing the gaseous by-products out the exhaust ports. Stewart describes a steam-driven rotor co-joined with the explosive fuel-driven rotor to more effectively use the heat generated by the burning fuel. Other rotary engines have been developed by Sutphin (U.S. Pat. No. 1,071,823) and Faurot (U.S. Pat. No. 1,187,293) where the gases are exploded in a cylinder, such as in a conventional piston and cylinder arrangement, and the exploding gases are used to drive a turbine. Sutphin further utilizes a valve arrangement so that the rotation of the turbine can be reversed.
The prior art rotary engines and turbine engines, while combining many important and useful features which distinguish them over piston-driven engines, are not widely used. In large part they suffer from extreme frictional wear in the proximity of the contact between the rotating cylinder and the engine housing, as well as a general inability to effectively dissipate the waste heat produced by combustion. Furthermore, an efficient and readily reversible configuration of such engine is difficult to design.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a combustion-type rotary engine with improved lubrication.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a rotor arrangement which is readily reversible in direction.
Another object of the present invention is the provision of a removable engine cover which permits improved serviceability of the rotor and other internal parts in a rotary engine.
A further object of the present invention is the provisions of a rotary engine unit which is compact and which can be linkably joined to other such units to create power trains of varying size and capacity.
Still another object of the invention is the provision of a compact and efficient cooling system in a rotary combustion engine.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be more apparent from the ensuing disclosure and appended claims.